1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for detecting the position of an underwater vehicle or object that moves three-dimensionally.
2. Description of the Related Art
One known technology that involves the use of a system for detecting the position of a three-dimensionally-driven underwater vehicle is a nuclear reactor inspection system that is designed to inspect the internal structures of a nuclear reactor with the use of an underwater inspection apparatus that moves three-dimensionally.
An example of such a nuclear reactor inspection system is the one disclosed in JP-2005-315709-A. In the nuclear reactor inspection system of JP-2005-315709-A, an underwater inspection apparatus is provided with various detectors for detecting state quantities indicative of the position and attitude of the underwater inspection apparatus. The detectors include an acceleration sensor that detects accelerations in the directions of x-, y-, and z-axes, a gyroscope that detects angular velocities around the three axes, and a camera that images an object irradiated with laser light. The detection results obtained by those detectors are transmitted to a control device for computation of the absolute position of the underwater inspection apparatus.